2004 SATURN ION Owners Manual

As you signal a turn or a lane change, if the arrows
ash rapidly, a signal bulb may be burned out and other
drivers won’t see your turn signal.
If a bulb is burned out, replace it to help avoid an
accident. If the arrows don’t go on at all when you signal
a turn, check the fuse, seeFuses and Circuit Breakers
on page 5-95and for burned-out bulbs.
Turn Signal On Chime
If the turn signal is left on for about 1 mile (1.6 km),
a chime will sound to let you know you left the
turn signal on.
Headlamp High/Low-Beam Changer
To change the headlamps from low beam to high or high
beam to low, push the turn signal lever away from
you. Then release it.
When the high beams
are on, this light on the
instrument panel cluster
will also be on.
Flash-to-Pass
This feature lets you use your high-beam headlamps to
signal a driver in front of you that you want to pass.
To use it, pull the turn signal/multifunction lever toward
you until the high-beam headlamps come on, then
release the lever to turn them off.
3-9
ProCarManuals.com

Headlamps
The exterior lamp control is located in the middle of the
turn signal/multifunction lever.
O(Exterior Lamp Control):Turn the control with this
symbol on it to operate the exterior lamps.
The exterior lamp control has the following four positions:
9(Off):Turning the control to this position turns off
all lamps except the Daytime Running Lamps (DRL).
On some vehicles, this position activates the automatic
headlamp system.
AUTO (Automatic):If your turn signal lever has this
position, turning the control to this position puts the
headlamps in automatic mode. AUTO mode will turn the
exterior lamps on and off depending upon how much
light is available outside of the vehicle.
;(Parking Lamps):Turning the control to this
position turns on the parking lamps together with the
following:
Sidemarker Lamps
Taillamps
License Plate Lamps
Instrument Panel Lights
5(Headlamps):Turning the control to this position
turns on the headlamps, together with the previously
listed lamps and lights.
Lamps On Reminder
If you open the driver’s door with the ignition off and the
lamps on, you will hear a warning chime.
3-10
ProCarManuals.com

Windshield Wiper Lever
The lever on the right side of the steering column
operates the windshield wipers.
7(Mist):Pull the lever down and release it for a
single wiping cycle. The lever will return to its original
position. For more cycles, hold the lever down before
releasing it.
9(Off):Put the lever in this position to turn off the
wipers.
&(Delay):Put the lever in this position to set a delay
between wipes. Turn the end of the lever to set the
length of the delay.
6(Low Speed):Put the lever in this position for
slow, steady wiping cycles.
1(High Speed):Put the lever in this position for
rapid wiping cycles.
Be sure to clear ice and snow from the wiper blades
before using them. If they’re frozen to the windshield,
gently loosen or thaw them. If the blades do become
damaged, install new blades or blade inserts.
Heavy snow or ice can overload the wiper motor.
A circuit breaker will stop the motor until it cools down.
Clear away snow or ice to prevent an overload.
3-11
ProCarManuals.com

Windshield Washer
{CAUTION:
In freezing weather, do not use your washer
until the windshield is warmed. Otherwise the
washer uid can form ice on the windshield,
blocking your vision.
L(Washer Fluid):Pull the windshield wiper lever
toward you to operate the windshield wipers. Washer uid
will squirt onto the windshield and the wipers will run for a
few cycles to clear the windshield. For more wash cycles,
pull the lever toward you and hold it there.
Cruise Control
The buttons for the cruise control are located on the
steering wheel.
O(On/Off):This button turns the system on and off.
I+ (Resume/Accelerate):Push this button to
make the vehicle resume a previously set speed or to
accelerate when cruise is already active.
I−(Set/Coast):Press this button to set the speed or
to decrease the speed when cruise is already active.
3-12
ProCarManuals.com

With cruise control, you can maintain a speed of about
25 mph (40 km/h) or more without keeping your foot
on the accelerator. This can really help on long
trips. Cruise control does not work at speeds below
about 25 mph (40 km/h).
If you apply your brakes or the clutch, the cruise control
will shut off.
{CAUTION:
Cruise control can be dangerous where you
can not drive safely at a steady speed. So, do
not use your cruise control on winding roads
or in heavy traffic.
Cruise control can be dangerous on slippery
roads. On such roads, fast changes in tire
traction can cause needless wheel spinning,
and you could lose control. Do not use cruise
control on slippery roads.
If your vehicle is in cruise control when the traction
control system begins to limit wheel spin, the cruise
control will automatically disengage. SeeTraction Control
System (TCS) on page 4-8. When road conditions allow
you to safely use it again, you may turn the cruise control
back on.
Setting Cruise Control
{CAUTION:
If you leave your cruise control on when you
are not using cruise, you might hit a button
and go into cruise when you do not want to.
You could be startled and even lose control.
Keep the cruise control switch off until you
want to use cruise control.
1. Press the cruise control on/off button.
2. Get up to the speed you want.
3. Press the set/coast button.
4. Take your foot off the accelerator pedal.
3-13
ProCarManuals.com

Resuming a Set Speed
Suppose you set your cruise control at a desired speed
and then you apply the brake. This, of course,
disengages the cruise control. But you don’t need to
reset it.
Once you’re going about 25 mph (40 km/h) or more, you
can press the cruise control resume/accelerate button.
You’ll go right back up to your chosen speed and
stay there.
If you hold the resume/accelerate button the vehicle will
keep going faster until you release the button or
apply the brake. So unless you want to go faster,
don’t hold the resume/accelerate button.
Increasing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to go to a higher speed:
Use the accelerator pedal to get to the higher
speed. Press the set/coast button, then release
the button and the accelerator pedal. You’ll
now cruise at the higher speed.
Press the resume/accelerate button. Hold it there
until you get up to the speed you want, and then
release the button. To increase your speed in very
small amounts, press the button briey. Each time
you do this, your vehicle will go about 1 mph
(1.6 km/h) faster.
Reducing Speed While Using Cruise
Control
There are two ways to reduce your speed while using
cruise control:
Press set/coast button until you reach the lower
speed you want, then release it.
To slow down in very small amounts, briey press
the set/coast button. Each time you do this, you’ll
go about 1 mph (1.6 km/h) slower.
Passing Another Vehicle While Using
Cruise Control
Use the accelerator pedal to increase your speed.
When you take your foot off the pedal, your vehicle will
slow down to the cruise control speed you set earlier.
3-14
ProCarManuals.com

Using Cruise Control on Hills
How well your cruise control will work on hills depends
upon your speed, load and the steepness of the
hills. When going up steep hills, you may have to step
on the accelerator pedal to maintain your speed.
When going downhill, you may have to brake or shift to
a lower gear to keep your speed down. Applying the
brake or shifting into a lower gear will take you out
of cruise control. If you need to apply the brake or shift
to a lower gear due to the grade of the downhill
slope, you may not want to attempt to use your cruise
control feature.
Ending Cruise Control
To end a cruise control session, step lightly on the
brake pedal. If your vehicle has a manual transmission,
lightly tapping the clutch will end a cruise control
session also.
Stepping on the brake or clutch pedal will end the
current cruise control session only. Press the cruise
control on/off button to turn off the system completely.
Erasing Speed Memory
When you turn off the cruise control or the ignition, your
cruise control set speed memory is erased.
Exterior Lamps
Headlamps
SeeTurn Signal/Multifunction Lever on page 3-8for
more information on the headlamps.
Daytime Running Lamps
Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) can make it easier for
others to see the front of your vehicle during the
day. DRL can be helpful in many different driving
conditions, but they can be especially helpful in the short
periods after dawn and before sunset. Fully functional
daytime running lamps are required on all vehicles
rst sold in Canada.
The DRL system will make your low-beam headlamps
come on at a reduced brightness in daylight when
the following conditions are met:
The ignition is on,
the exterior lamp band is in the off or AUTO
position, and
the transaxle is not in PARK (P) on models with an
automatic transaxle only.
3-15
ProCarManuals.com

When the DRL are on, your low-beam headlamps
will be on at a reduced brightness. The taillamps,
sidemarker and other lamps won’t be on.
Your instrument panel won’t be lit up either.
When you turn the exterior lamp band to the headlamp
position, your low-beam headlamps will come on.
The other lamps that come on with your headlamps will
also come on.
When you turn off the headlamps, the regular lamps will
go off, and your low-beam headlamps will come on to
the reduced brightness.
To idle your vehicle with the DRL off, move the shift
lever to PARK (P). The DRL will stay off until you move
the shift lever out of PARK (P). To override the DRL
on manual transaxle vehicles, you must set the parking
brake while the ignition is off and then start your
vehicle. The DRL will stay off until you release the
parking brake.
As with any vehicle, you should turn on the regular
headlamp system when you need it.Automatic Headlamp System
If you have the automatic headlamps system, the
headlamps will come on automatically when it is
dark enough.
Your vehicle has a light
sensor located on top of
the instrument panel.
Make sure it is not
covered, or the headlamps
will be on when you
don’t need them.
The system may also turn on the headlamps when
driving through a parking garage or tunnel.
3-16
ProCarManuals.com